not laying

[ange]

My rir 9 months old, have never laid. Is it what I am feeding them. I always have fresh water for them. Now it is freezing here, so I give them fresh, unfrozen water, every morning and afternoon. Food always there. I was giving layer crumbles or pellets, but just a few months ago, changed to a, so they say at the feed storew, homemade better laying food, it is like cake mix texture. Any ideas, why they are not laying. I check the coop 2 or 3 times a day, and try not toet them out until after they haVE TIME to lay, which they do not. I have checked for egg eating, and see no signs. Coop is enclosed, so I9 do not think pests are getting it. HELP

 

[pkeeler]

My first thought was that your chicken hit winter before starting to lay. But 9 months, means it was 5 months in August, so it really should have been laying all summer. Then I read the feed part, it sounds like a very strange feed. I would find a good layer pellet with 5% calcium and 12-16% protein.

Does the bird free range? If so, lock it up for a couple of days and see if you start seeing eggs. It is possible it is laying eggs in the yard somewhere.

The other possibility is that it is a rooster.

 

[ange]

Thansk for your suggestions. I think they are not roosters, since they are not crowing. They are locked up now, since a hawk got one and I have been afraid. The food I just changed to this concoption. I am waiting to hear from the farmer that makes this up, so I can ask him the calcium and protein ratio and tell him my problem and see what he says. I used the pellets and crumbles before and no avail, which is why I changed. Would it be ok and help if I mixed the crumbles, and this new food together?

 

[pkeeler]

I have to think there are eggs somewhere. Put some golf balls in the nest boxes to encourage laying in there. Maybe offer some oyster shell free choice. But hard to believe RIRs are not laying at 9 months. If it is very cold, at this time of year, they could stop. But they should have been laying last Fall at least. It is possible they were laying in the yard, but have now stopped because of the weather and daylight levels. Keep them cooped up for awhile and see what happens.

 

[feathersnuggles]

You could try to increase protein levels, by a little. However, I have a 38 week old who still hasn't laid. All the others in the flock started between 19 weeks and 28 weeks old. She's the record-breaker.

She's a blue wyandotte, and I'm hoping she'll finally begin laying the beginning of this spring.

 

[zoomia]

When I got a "custom mix" feed from a local store, all my hens stopped laying. I think it was because the protein was powder and they weren't eating it. I would second the vote on getting a good layer pellet/crumble. Based on experiences from people on this board, I started feeding a 22 percent gamebird feeder and have seen the extra protein make a REAL difference.